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Saturday, November 8, 2014

Stitching

Last weekend I finished Pear Tree.

Pear Tree by LHN using recommended threads.

This was the last of my small wips.

My next wip is Fall Mandala by Ink Circles.
The center section was where I stopped ages ago. Now I've done the black outline along the top and started filling in the colours. I'm loving using the silk HDF threads.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

2. Frosty Flakes by LHN. I got most of this finished on Sunday - the V8's were racing at Bathurst so watched that on TV all day, then it was the final of The Block on TV that night. Both had dramatic finishes. I grabbed some time last night while dinner was cooking and added the beads before I had to go out.

I'm still working on old wips. Next is another small LHN ornament - Pear Tree.

I'll have less stitching time for the rest of this month. I like to sit down and stitch for an hour at night when all my jobs are done, but DD has amateur theatre performances over the coming 2 weeks as well as sport and I will be out 5 nights a week with her for the next few weeks. DH is going to be in Vancouver next week so I need to be organized.

I was driving DD home from school last Thursday afternoon when we witnessed a car accident just in front of us. It was on a busy suburban street, lots of traffic going the same way as we were, but still moving close to the speed limit - 60km/h. A 4WD coming the other way swerved into our lane and hit a car head on, a third car couldn't stop and hit the second car from behind, then ended up on the footpath. We were 2 cars behind and I think I said a bad word as I was braking. All I can remember is seeing car parts flying in the air and a car shooting across the road. I was amazed there were only minor injuries. The driver of the middle car was fairly shaken up. The driver of the third car was a learner and did a fantastic job - he had some facial grazes from the airbag and his mum hurt her wrist. The second car would have been a write off and the third car had lots of damage to the front. Not an experience I'm in a hurry to repeat!

I'm enjoying the warmer weather here as we head into summer. It's still a bit cool some mornings and very dry. We could do with some rain, but not if is accompanied by violent storms like they just got down in NSW.

Blogger seems to be playing up. I'm only getting email notifications about some comments? Sorry if I haven't replied to you.

Monday, October 6, 2014

No, I'm not talking about my stitching and blogging mojo which has been gone for months but made an appearance yesterday. I'm talking about my camera charger which has been lost since the renovations last year. The iPhone photos aren't the best for stitching pictures and I wanted to use my camera. I've been looking for this for months, tore the office apart and looked in all the plastic containers 3 times each, searched everywhere I thought there was half a chance of finding it. Asked DH it he had seen it - 'Don't worry, it'll be in a box somewhere.' Finally, yesterday I searched again. Office - no, sewing room - no, kitchen - no, box of cables beside the TV - no.
DH's bedside drawer- YES! Time for a happy dance. In DH's defense, the bedside drawers are huge and stuffed full of various things. I'm sure I'd already looked in them.

There is a story behind this camera, we brought it in New York on my first trip to the US in October 2008 because DH left our camera at home. It was hideously expensive because while we were there the Aussie dollar was collapsing due to the GFC.

This weekend I caught up on all my blog reading and I was inspired to pick up my stitching again.

I didn't leave comments but I'd like to say thanks to all those that blog and encourage us all to keep stitching when we see such fantastic work out there.

This is Red House in Winter by LHN. I had a small red blob when I started. Put it down about 11pm last night. I was going to say I'm hoping to finish this today but with the way I'm going the end of the month might be a better goal!

I've decided I don't do stitching deadlines or SALs. I had lots of plans at the start of the year and joined a few groups but I've barely done any stitching all year. Maybe it's just this year hasn't been a good one and hopefully next year will be better.

I think I've been really stressed lately and that's why I'm not stitching. DS is in his last year of school and is struggling to get the good grades he used to get easily. He wants to do engineering next year at uni and needs to do well and get a good OP. He was quite sick in May and spent a week in bed with fevers, needed another week to recover enough to get back into school work. His assignments were extended but that just pushed them into exam block so he didn't get time to sleep or study and did badly on some exams. We told him not to worry, to do well in the next term! Should have keep our mouths shut.

I've decided that 2014 is the Year of Broken Bones in our house. DD had broken her toe and badly sprained her ankle in term 1. In May (term 2) she broke her left index finger at netball training and missed another 5 weeks of netball. Three weeks from the end of term 3 DS broke his right collarbone during a school rugby union game on the last weekend in August. DH thought he had been subbed off as he picked himself up after the tackle, walked to the sideline and then said there was something wrong with his arm! His coach was shocked when DH came back from the first aid room and said it was a broken collarbone. His first injury during 11 years of playing! It was 3 days before the QCS exams - statewide exams that indirectly effect how they are ranked to get into uni. He couldn't do them and is given the school's average result for all the calculations - not so good for an above average student. He missed all his exams at the end of term but will be doing some this week when school goes back after the holidays. Luckily his break was stable and he didn't need surgery. The ends are jammed together at an angle but the surgeon said it will heal fine. He was pretty sore the first few weeks but is able to move his arm freely this last week. It has been 5 weeks since the break now. He still needs to be careful for the next month or so. We aren't worrying about his results anymore, if he doesn't get into engineering he can do science for a year then switch courses. It is more likely he will get his second preference and do engineering at the uni in the city centre which is easier to get to anyway.

Hopefully that is the last of our health dramas for this year.

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading the epic story. Leave a comment if you are new to my blog and I will follow you in return.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

If you would like to be the next person to stitch this gorgeous travelling chart please leave a note specifically stating that you are interested in the drawing for this chart in your comment.
There are a few simple rules that need to be followed.

1. Your blog must be an active one.

2. You must stitch it as soon as possible and agree to pass it on.

3. Pick the next lucky stitcher via a drawing on your blog.

4. Post your finish on your blog and the history of where the chart has already travelled to.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

I'm back and feeling better at last.
First, a stitchy update then all the details about my health.

Way back last year I received a travelling pattern - Summer Splendor by LHN.
We were in the middle of renovation hell so I pulled threads and chose fabric and put it in a safe place. Then I couldn't find it again until I had unpacked all my sewing room boxes after the new carpet was laid.
I picked it up on January 1st and started, but the weather turned horrible and we had a heatwave. Next I was running around like a headless chook trying to get everything organized for our Canadian holiday. Fine, I thought, we get back at the end of January, the kids go back to school and I will get it knocked over within a week.
2 months later, here is my progress photo. I picked it up last weekend and hope to finish this weekend.

Sorry for the poor quality photo - I took this on my phone and it was a rainy day.
When it is finished I will do a separate post and see who would like to have a chance to do this next.

To say I haven't been well is probably an understatement. I woke up in the early hours of the morning we left Whistler (January 26 - Australia Day) with a terribly sore throat, headache and runny nose. Great, I've caught a cold, so dosed myself up with painkillers and antihistamines. I had a bit of trouble clearing my ears on both flights but managed to get a fair bit of sleep. Got home Tuesday morning and had a busy few days with the start of school for both kids. Took myself to the Dr that Friday as it felt like I was getting bronchitis - sore throat, painful chest and coughing. By the weekend the cough was much worse and I was getting up in the middle of the night needing to sit upright for several hours, coughing and choking for breath then feeling like I was going to be sick, then crawling back to bed exhausted at 4am for another few hours sleeep. After about 4 weeks of that I improved enough to realize this wasn't an ordinary cough and took myself back to the dr. He agreed that it sounded like whooping cough and ran some blood tests but they came back negative. The cough lasted another few weeks and was set off by talking, laughing, changes in temperature and standing up. Even when the cough stopped I was tired all the time. If I went out to get a few groceries I would feel like I had been hit by a truck and would need to rest for an hour or so after.
I am feeling much better now, the cough has gone and the fatigue and fuzzy head haven't been a problem for over a week. DH was the only other one who got it and he was about 2 weeks behind me so he is still getting better. Whatever it was, it was a nasty bug and left me with no energy to do anything but the essentials - food, laundry, kids to and from school.

DD has had a rough time lately as well. About 3 weeks ago I came home after dropping DH at the airport and found DD buddy taping her little toe and calmly saying she thought it was broken. Bike + bare feet + speed + cutting corners in the garden = clipping the garden edging. I was feeling rather ordinary so waited a day then took her to the hospital ER the next afternoon. Yes, it was broken, they showed her how to tape it up, gave her some crutches and told her to use them for a week or two. I was fine with that as she has a fair bit of walking to do at high school. No netball for 4 weeks. Only problem is that now I have to drive her to and from school everyday as the bus drop off is at the bottom of a steep hill and the school is at the top.
Just over a week later I got a call from her school. It was a wet morning and her crutch had slipped, she had twisted her good ankle and the swelling wasn't going down. Result - one sprained ankle. No netball for at least 4 weeks. She had to stay home for a few days until she could walk well enough to get around! The toe still hurts a bit but the sprained ankle is pain free when she walks. She is going to try a slow jog this weekend. She has missed the first 3 games of the netball winter season but there is a 3 week break over the Easter holidays so she will be right to play after that.

Well done if you have managed to read all that. I'm excited to be stitching again.
Have to go and feed my family before they complain too much.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

We have a few more days here in Whistler, Canada. The weather has been lovely - no snow and sunny most days. Today was a rest day after skiing every day for the previous 6 days. Yesterday afternoon we skied from the Roundhouse near the top of the mountain down to the village - 1200m vertical drop. It took us an hour and a half on the easiest green runs. I'm snow plowing slowly down the steeper sections but I'm having a great time. Tomorrow is our last day skiing and I hope my left knee lasts the day. I hurt it here 3 years ago and it's getting a bit sore and stiff. DS is skiing behind me to pick up the pieces if I crash - he tells me I'll go better if I ski faster and not worry so much about staying in control!

The trip over was pretty good. Landed in LA and cleared security and customs and was waiting at the lounge for my Vancouver flight within 90 minutes. The kids and I met DH at Vancouver airport and got the bus to Whistler. How long did it take you ask? From leaving home to checking in at the hotel at Whistler was 26 hours. With the time difference we arrived at Whistler 8 hours after we left. Always feels strange arriving in LA before we leave home! However, on the way home we lose a day, leave Sunday midday and arrive home Tuesday morning. The kids start the new school year on Wednesday morning.

Stitching from Stash is going well. I haven't spent any money this year, but I've only stitched a little at the beginning of the month. It was very hot before we left for our holiday and I was getting ready to go away and preparing for the new school year. I didn't bring any stitching with me on holiday but the light in the hotel room isn't good enough for stitching anyway. I'm looking forward to having more time next month.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Well, after the great renovations of 2013 I am back stitching.
Our new carpet was laid 2 weeks before Christmas. I'm used to the colour now - the first week I thought I'd made a horrible mistake. It's a bit darker than the old carpet, but that is good because the cat has already vomited on it twice! We are still unpacking boxes and will be for a while yet. We still have no window coverings in any bedrooms, but I'm getting plantation shutters in my bedroom and the sewing room which will arrive early Feb. The kids curtains will be organized around then as will their new beds. Photos below were taken with my phone.

dining area

lounge room

Great grandmother's travelling chest - initials on top

library nook

Stitching Plans for 2014

I've decided to join a few groups this year. In no particular order they are:

Stitch from Stash 2014

TUSAL

Turtle Trot

Wipocalypse 2014

My stitching projects are listed below.

1. Summer Splendor - this is a travelling pattern I received in October and put in a safe place before the painters started. Just found it again the other day! Need to get cracking on this one.

2. Hypnotic

3. Romantic Rose Garden Mandala

4. Fall Mandala

5. Snowy Pines LHN

6. Red House in Winter LHN

7. Winter Sheep LHN

8.Pear Tree LHN

9. Frosty Flakes LHN

10. Pirates Creed

Holidays

Kids are on school holidays until late January. DD finished her last year of primary school last year and is going to a new school this year for grade 8. She is 12 but is taller than me now (I'm 5'5")
DS is about to start his final year of high school and wants to do Mechanical Engineering at uni next year. He will be 17 in a few weeks.
We are going to Canada in 2 weeks for some skiing at Whistler again. We were there 3 years ago. DH has to go over to the US for work before so we are meeting him at Vancouver. We are due to get back home the day before the kids start school so the jet lag will be fun for them that first week!

I wouldn't mind some cooler weather right now. Brisbane is forecast to reach 41C today. That's not much fun with no airconditioning, but we usually only get a few weeks of the really hot temps each year. However, not much stitching happening with the heat.

I've been reorganizing in the sewing room - photos next post.
I'm off to peel some prawns for lunch - I picked up a frozen kilo from the parents in law on Christmas day and forgot about them until yesterday. Yum!